


You're A Real Miracle-Worker

by Zakani_Donovan



Series: Well, That Was A Thing (Good Omens One-Shots) [13]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Aziraphale Likes Crowley, Aziraphale is a Mess (Good Omens), Crowley Likes Aziraphale, Crowley is Good With Kids (Good Omens), Crush, Cute, First Date, Gay, M/M, Unrealistic medical procedures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24903631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zakani_Donovan/pseuds/Zakani_Donovan
Summary: Crowley is a doctor, Aziraphale is a retired history professor and they meet thanks to Adam and his propensity to get hurt.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Adam Young (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley & Anathema Device
Series: Well, That Was A Thing (Good Omens One-Shots) [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800655
Kudos: 52





	You're A Real Miracle-Worker

**Author's Note:**

> Context: Human AU. Also, the medical aspect of this fic is very unrealistic. An idea popped into my head and I ran with it, with minimal research, so you have been warned. Suspend your disbelief for that bit if you must.

The emergency room was quite full today, which only added to Aziraphale's stress. He knew it wasn't **too** bad, sure Adam was in pain, but he wasn't voicing it at the moment, so that meant he could **at least** tolerate it. He also had his headphones on and was blasting music, so the distraction must've been helping a bit. Yes, his godson had a very impressive threshold for pain, and that was both good and horrible for Aziraphale's nerves. Of course the quiet, former professor would be in charge of a little daredevil, because that was just his luck. God certainly has a sense of humor.

Aziraphale Fell never intended to be a parent or a father-figure to anyone. Therefore, when Adam moved in with him, it took a lot of getting used to. Arthur Young and Deirdre Thompson became friends with Aziraphale back in their university days. Since they were easily the most obsessive students in the history faculty, it was no surprise that they grew very close and even worked together. That's how Aziraphale ended up being Arthur's best man at his and Deirdre's wedding, as well as their only son's godfather.

The reason for him fully taking care of Adam was because of the ways they decided to specialize in their careers. Aziraphale had been an ancient history professor for much of his adult life, but Arthur and Deirdre had taken it a step further by also dabbling in archeology. The pair were always traveling back and forth from one site to another, helping to unearth many valuable pieces from all over the world.

Once the couple had Adam, they tried to settle down in Tadfield for good, but it was very evident that they missed the more adventurous side of their work. So when the opportunity to join in a dig in Mesopotamia popped up, they nearly jumped head-first. Adam was actually the one who threw a wrench in their plans. Originally, they heard the offer and were discussing a type of homeschooling for their boy, but he vehemently refused. He didn't want to leave his home or his friends, and he definitely didn't want to be stuck in a tent all day in the field doing assignments while his parents went and had 'all the fun', as he put it. Having no one else, or rather, **trusting** no one else with their son, Arthur and Deirdre turned to Aziraphale. He knew how important this particular dig was, having told them himself about it.

Ever since retiring from his teaching job, Aziraphale had actually been in charge of cataloging and documenting all of the Young's findings. He may as well been their curator too. Point being: anything that had to do with them **always** came through Aziraphale, so in a way, old Professor Fell had done this to himself. When Adam learned he would stay in Tadfield with Aziraphale, the 11 year old cheered as though he had just scored the winning goal at the World Cup.

In hindsight, perhaps he should have known the boy had a few tricks up his sleeve. He had always been very clever, able to talk his way out of trouble, but the biggest problem, in Aziraphale's eyes, was that he had no fear. He was always the bravest of his friends, doing things some of them would never dare of **thinking**. Leaping from one side of the stream to the other using dirt-ramps while on their bikes? Adam's idea. Climbing up the tallest tree in the neighborhood using tools from their parents' sheds? Adam's idea. Trying to do parkour even though none of them possessed any real knowledge or skill on the discipline? Adam's idea. And these were just some things he had done since being under Aziraphale's care. The earliest he had ever heard of Adam doing anything dangerous for fun was when he was 5 years old and flew off his bike for going too fast and crashing into a mailbox because he couldn't stop himself in time. He had even lost a tooth on that one. Luckily, it was one of his baby teeth, so the permanent one grew in just fine. Even back then, in pain, he got back on the bike and tried to execute whatever plan he had.

So, much to the adults' chagrin, this was not a phase. Adam was still as brave and stubborn as ever, but he would take more precautions. It was thanks to these precautions that the boy would **only** get injured and not suffer a worst fate. To his credit, he did try to hold himself back sometimes for Aziraphale's sake, because he knew how scared the blond man always got whenever he wasn't in the **exact** same shape he had been when left the house. Of course, his daredevil side was always incredibly tempting.

That's how they ended up in the emergency room today. He and his friends were in the playground, simultaneously watching Pepper's little sister and entertaining themselves in the process. While looking at the seesaw, another idea popped into his head. He told Brian and Wensleydale to sit on one end of the seesaw while he sat at the opposite side. His plan was to stand on his end, do a backflip in the air and land on his feet. Simple enough, he was very good at doing backflips so this would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned, as he didn't rotate completely in time and landed on his shoulder instead of his feet. At this point, Aziraphale knows something has gone terribly wrong when he receives a phone call from Pepper, and so, he went to pick him up at the playground and brought him straight over to the hospital. As soon as they arrived, Adam waved at two nurses who were having a smoke break outside. Yes, they spent **far** too much time here but, what could be done?

"Adam Young!" Yelled the nurse from the front desk.

Aziraphale glanced her way from the waiting room and nodded. "On his way!" He replied, nudging Adam softly so he would take off his headphones. "Come along, dear boy, let's see what Dr. Goldberg can do about this beast." He tried not to wince at the boy's shoulder as he looked at it. Even a blind person could see how out of place it was.

The nurse's ear perked up and looked up from her desk as the two approached her. "Actually, Dr. Goldberg's not here today. So he'll be seeing Dr. Crowley instead."

Aziraphale paused. " 'Crowley'? What happened to Goldberg?"

"Swapped shifts with Dr. Crowley so he could 'sleep all day and work all night'. His words, not mine. Don't worry, Adam's in good hands with this one. He's great with kids." She assured him with a soft smile.

At this point, it felt like everyone who worked in the emergency room knew who Adam was. It was both embarrassing and impressive. The pair made their way over to one of the beds and waited for this new doctor to arrive.

Adam noticed his godfather was more jittery than usual. "Come on Uncle Az, I'm sure he's not that bad. Why would he be a doctor if he wasn't good?"

Aziraphale sat next to the bed and gave him a pleading look. "It's not that, Adam. Your parents left me in charge of you and I would like to give you back in one piece, but you just can't help yourself. Every time we leave here, you promise you won't do anything that bad again, you forget a few days later and we end up here again. How many times have we come to the emergency room **this month**?"

Adam shrugged trying to remember the exact number. "Like three?"

" **Five**! Two of which were concussions, so if you forgot those, I can't blame you-"

Just then, a man wearing a lab coat walked into their area. He was pale, tall, redheaded, with the brightest hazel eyes Aziraphale had ever seen. He couldn't see any other features thanks to the mask covering the bottom half of his face, but the voice was somehow just as enchanting as the eyes.

"So, **you're** the famous Adam Young I've heard so much about! I'm honored to finally meet you." He said, it was very evident that he was smiling thanks to the squint of his eyes. "Let's have a look, shall we?" He must've meant it in a 'let's start' sense, because it was very evident that the boy's shoulder was out of its socket.

"How'd this happen? And how are you not screaming your head off?" Asked the doctor.

Adam made a face. "Miscalculated when I did a backflip from the top of a seesaw."

Aziraphale stood and gave the doctor some more space. "He's very good with pain. It's quite frightening, really." He said, trying his best not to stare.

The medic gave a nod in acknowledgement as he let his fingers pull on the boy's short sleeve. "You do any gymnastics?"

The boy shook his head. "No."

The doctor looked up at him. "Ever considered it? I've heard from staff that you're a bit of an adrenaline-junkie. If you're properly trained, maybe you can avoid coming here so often."

Aziraphale hummed in response. "Dr. Crowley has a point, Adam. If I can't convince you to calm down altogether, perhaps a more safe or professional option would suit you? Get all that energy out in a positive manner?"

"Only if I could convince Brian, Pepper and Wensleydale to do it too. It'd be no fun without them." He said, seemingly not on board with the idea yet.

The blond man sighed sadly. "Adam, we **need** to reach a compromise somehow, you are **not** made of rubber! Frankly, I wish you were. That way, I wouldn't come close to a heart attack every week and you could enjoy yourself as much as you'd like."

"Come on Uncle Az, it's not like I'm the E.R **every** week. A bunch of times they sent me home 'cause it wasn't even that serious!" 

"Not the point, dear boy... We'll continue this conversation back home, let's give the doctor some peace so he can work." Concluded Aziraphale as the medic stood from his crouching position. He had nearly forgotten the man was even there with them.

The redhead took his gloves and mask off, throwing them in the nearest trash bin. His facial features were sharp, stunning, with a greater part of his cheeks being peppered with freckles. Oh, if Aziraphale wasn't already intrigued by the man's appearance, he certainly was now. He was gorgeous!

"I'm gonna go get something to help with that shoulder, back in a bit." He said before turning and exiting through the curtain.

Aziraphale was clearly flustered because Adam tilted his head. "You okay there, Uncle Az? Your face is really red."

"Yes! Yes, perfectly fine! Just feel a bit warm. Perhaps it's because there are no vents here..." Answered the adult, his head swiveling around to find a faux reason for his horribly obvious blush.

The boy hummed with a nod, looked at his phone and started texting his friends.

Moments later, Dr. Crowley returned with a something in his hands, as well as a young nurse with dark skin and blond hair, her name tag read 'Lucy Ferrer'. "Alright Adam, let's take care of that shoulder. Can you lie down face-down for me, your bad arm dangling over the edge?"

Adam nodded. "I think so. What's **that** for?" He asked, trying to figure out what the medic held.

"Right so, I thought we'd handle things a bit differently this time around. I saw no skin discoloring or anything else that was troubling in the area so there's no need to do any surgery. Your records show this is the **third** time you've dislocated your shoulder. First time it was the left one and the last two times have been your right one. First two times, Dr. Goldberg used the FARES method to set your shoulder back into place. While effective, I'd like to see how you handle the Stimson technique." He explained before revealing what the object was. A large paperweight in the shape of an apple with a thick elastic-band of sort going through it.

"For this, we attach a weight of some kind to your arm, let gravity reposition the ball of your arm bone toward the socket so then it falls back into place. This method takes a bit longer but I think that **because** it requires the muscles to relax, it might be better for you in the long run. So, what do you two think? Same as always or this new way?" He explained and looked expectantly at both the patient and his guardian.

Aziraphale wasn't entirely sure about anything medical, but he appreciated Dr. Crowley actually sharing his thought process with Adam and asking which method he'd prefer instead of just doing the faster one. It proved he was both smart and considerate. That definitely added to the attraction factor and, oh, Aziraphale's face was surely as red as that decorative apple again. Curse his pale complexion, always ratting him out. In the end, the blond man simply shrugged at the professional's question.

"Whichever you want, Adam."

Adam looked at everyone around him and concluded that, if the method went awry, he was surrounded by people who would fix it. So he glanced over at the weight in the doctor's hand and nodded. "We can try it."

And so they did. They got Adam as comfortable as he could be, his right arm dangling over the edge of the bed. Lucy strapped the weight to the boy's wrist and made sure it didn't tug too quickly. As she watched over Adam and ensured that his muscles relaxed, Dr. Crowley asked Aziraphale to step out with him for a moment to discuss something about the boy's information. They walked a few feet away to have some privacy.

"You're not used to taking care of kids, are ya?" Asked the redhead, well out of earshot from the child and nurse on the other side of the curtain.

Aziraphale was taken aback by this and quickly realized he wasn't **nearly** as good at pretending he was an expert on dealing with the boy as he thought he was. The blond shook his head. Now his face had turned red but out of a sudden embarrassment.

"I'm his godfather but I've never had him for this much time. His parents will be back by year's end, I just hope I can keep him together for long enough..." He admitted, glancing back at the curtain they had just come out of.

Dr. Crowley cleared his throat. "Y'know, you've gotta learn to put your foot down."

Aziraphale turned and blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"Look, I hate unsolicited parental advice as much as the next guy, but you seemed **really** frustrated back there, before I stepped out the first time. You need to remind him who's boss, that you know what's best for him." Said Dr. Crowley.

"I'm not his father, I don't think I **do** know best." Said the retired professor glumly.

Dr. Crowley titled his head, those bright hazel eyes tearing into him. "You have the best intentions though, don't you?"

Aziraphale nodded. "Yes, I believe so. I just want him to be safe."

"Then **that's** what matters. I'm sure you love being 'fun Uncle Az' but **both** of you need to be alright for you to continue being 'fun Uncle Az', right?"

"I suppose..." He replied, fidgeting with his hands.

"He seems like a good kid. Talk to him. Like an adult, with respect, all that jazz. And if he still doesn't get it, tell his parents to help you out a bit. I mean, if **they** ground him and you have to enforce it, he might not be upset with **you**..." Suggested the doctor with a smirk on his face.

Aziraphale looked genuinely surprised by his words. "And may I ask how you are such an expert on the matter?"

"I have a son. Bad marriage but we tried for him. And when we split up, I was honest with him. It took some time for him to understand but he did eventually. Not to mention, my parents split when I was young too and I gravitated towards the one who was more sincere with me... Just try it, I know you're worried." He explained.

The blond nodded slowly, internalizing his words and trying to piece together how he would bring it up with Adam once they were home.

"Thank you, Dr. Crowley..."

The physician smiled before heading back to his patient. "Don't mention it, and call me Anthony."

Aziraphale followed closely behind and they came through the curtain just as Lucy was removing the weight from Adam's wrist. Dr. Crowley checked him, made sure nothing else was wrong and placed the boy's arm in a sling. He wrote him a prescription for some pain and anti-inflammatory medications, gave them specific instructions about dealing with the injury at home and told them to go by his office once a week so he could keep track of the healing process. Adam was discharged soon after and as they walked out of the emergency room, Aziraphale could've sworn Dr. Crowley had winked at him.

~~~~~

This time around, it only took ten weeks for Adam's shoulder to completely recover, unlike the last time, where it had taken twelve. The boy had a good talking to, both from his parents and from Aziraphale, during his 'imprisonment'. Just like Dr. Crowley had said, honesty helped the child understand a bit better. Thankfully, Adam had successfully managed to entertain himself with his friends with less dangerous games, slowing down to his friends's pace. This made Aziraphale a **very** happy camper.

By the eleventh follow-up appointment, Dr. Crowley confirmed that Adam's shoulder had healed up quite nicely. However, a twelfth appointment came seemingly out of nowhere when Adam told his godfather that he was feeling a bit under the weather. Upon seeing him hugging the toilet bowl one morning, taking his temperature and seeing how high it was, Aziraphale practically ran with the boy to the pediatrician's office. Adam sat in the waiting room, looking miserable, as Aziraphale filled out the usual documents.

When Dr. Crowley finally examined the boy, he had a bit of a permanent scowl on his face. When he stepped out, Aziraphale followed. Apparently, Adam was completely fine. He had faked his fever somehow. The question was why? It was a Saturday morning, on a date which they had no planned events, so he wasn't trying to get out of something. Not to mention, any child who fakes being ill quickly admits the truth as soon as a visit to the doctor is mentioned. 

Thanks to this, Aziraphale comes to the conclusion that this is Adam needing more attention. Yes, the boy would speak and see his parents on a daily basis using his phone, but it wasn't the same as having them with him. As if he didn't feel like a good enough guardian, now the thought that he wasn't enough for Adam seemed to break his heart. Dr. Crowley wasn't having any of it. He reassured the man that he wasn't the problem and that they would find out what **was**.

After returning to the examination room, where Adam seemingly remembered to look as though he was dying as soon as they walked back in, Dr. Crowley informed the boy that this illness of his would have to be treated a little bit differently.

"Unfortunately, the pharmacies aren't open today, so you can't get the usual medication for that fever. However, I have an injection here that should hold you over until you can get the proper medicine." He explained taking out a brand new syringe and started putting gloves on. He had winked at Aziraphale before turning back to face Adam. 

Adam's face quickly turned pale at the sight of the needle. While he wasn't **afraid** of them, if he could avoid an injection, he would without question. "Is that really necessary, doc?" He asked nervously.

"Of course it is. We want you to feel better, right?" He said, removing the syringe from its packaging. He turned his attention back to the boy and raised a brow. "Unless, of course, you're not really sick... Is there something you'd like to tell us, Adam?"

It was at this moment that the Young's child knew his plan had truly failed. He hung his head in shame while twiddling with his fingers. Eventually, he spoke. "I made myself throw up, and I stuck the thermometer in the bathroom's candle when you went to go get me some water, and I'd put the heating pad on my forehead too..."

Aziraphale approached Adam, placing a gentle hand on his freshly healed shoulder. "That was very sneaky on your behalf, Adam. Dr. Crowley could have been tending to those patients in his waiting room instead of trying to figure out what was wrong with you, when there clearly wasn't anything. You scared me to no end and you wasted Dr. Crowley's time. Why would you do this?"

The boy still hadn't looked up, eyes focused on his dangling shoelaces. "I- I don't want to say it in front of Uncle Az..."

Dr. Crowley immediately looked at Aziraphale and saw a pained expression on the blond's face. He nodded and left the room. Dr. Crowley called his nurse Anathema to come in. Adam looked concerned by this.

"You're a minor, someone needs to be in here to be a witness. You're sure you don't want it to be your godfather?" He asked, wanting to be sure.

Adam nodded hesitantly. "I think he'd be really angry with me."

Dr. Crowley pulled his chair closer to the examination table. He twisted it to sit backwards on it and looked up at the boy. "Why would he be angry?"

"Well... Maybe more embarrassed than angry? I don't know..." Said the boy, still focused on his own hands.

"Tell me what it is and I'll tell you which of the two is more likely."

Anathema sat where Aziraphale had been and gave Adam a reassuring smile. They waited until he felt comfortable enough to admit the reason for his lie.

"Uncle Az likes you, doc..." He started, not daring to look the medic in the eyes. The nurse beside him tried her best to not audibly gasp when her jaw dropped. Dr. Crowley quickly sent a glare her way because not only was this not the time, he was just not in the mood for her to start teasing him about his crush.

Adam continued. "...He says he doesn't, but I know he does. He's always happy and smiling but he does it a bit more after my appointments here... I figured, if I got hurt again, he could see you again. But I didn't wanna get scolded since my shoulder's alright now and he's stopped freaking out so much about me. So I faked the fever to have an excuse to come here..." He finally looked at the doctor and he saw how red his face was.

The redheaded man nodded slowly, trying to keep his composure. Eventually, he cleared his throat and stood up. He went to his desk, scribbled something out on a prescription note, folded the paper and handed it over to Adam.

"Give that to your godfather. And the next time I see you, you'd better really sick. Go on, I've got actual patients to deal with. Anathema, call whoever's next on the list." His focus never returned to the boy's face, instead, his gaze landed on Anathema when he gave her the order.

Adam did as told and jogged out of the room. As soon as he reached Aziraphale, he gave him the paper. Aziraphale unfolded, read it and gaped at it, his eyes wanting to bulge out of his skull.

_____-_____

_Call me tonight ;)_

_033-666-1941_

_-Anthony_

_____-_____

Adam looked up at him. "You alright there, Uncle Az?"

"Yes! Perfect! Absolutely tickety-boo!" He exclaimed a bit too loudly, making other stare at them. "Let us head home, yes?" The blush and smile on Aziraphale's face was impossible to hide. With that, the two of them left the office.

Back in the examination room, Anathema smirked widely after calling for the next patient. "Can I celebrate yet?"

Dr. Crowley shook his head. "Not yet. He's got to call and accept to go on a date with me first."

"Can I **at least** brag about being right? He looked like he was about to start jumping up and down in your waiting room!" She practically squealed.

He let himself chuckle a bit. "Fine, you can gloat for a full minute. Other than that, I don't want to hear it."

"Not even his phone number from Adam's file?" She asked knowingly.

He relented with a small pout, which had almost turned into a smile. "Text it to me. Other than that, we're **not** talking about it anymore. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" She said playfully as the next patient and his mother walked through the door.

The call came just after dinner that night, it was awkward and, frankly, adorable at some points. It was hard to tell who was more flustered over the phone, although, Adam would wager it was his godfather. The topics ranged from random information from whatever they were doing while on the phone, to moments they had noticed one another staring in the office but neither of them dared saying anything at the time. Throughout the call, Aziraphale kept accidentally calling him "Dr. Crowley" rather than "Anthony" and would apologize every time. Because of this, the ginger told him it wasn't a problem but to drop the "Dr." bit and just call him Crowley. He had gone through a phase in college where he'd go by his last name, so it wouldn't be weird, at least until Aziraphale got used to interacting with him outside of a medical context. Since Adam had already made plans to stay at Brian's house for the following day, (something about doing a slime experiment which needed as much time as possible) Aziraphale essentially had a blank slate to set a time for their date. Once they agreed on that and a place, they hung up.

~~~~~

They met in the middle of the plaza and walked the rest of the way. It was a small, family-owned place, practically hidden in a little corner of Tadfield which Aziraphale had never seen. "The Witch's Den" was like a little tavern with some occult aesthetic. Crowley had found it when he was in medical school and he never stopped coming by. He insisted they had the best baked potatoes in all England and Aziraphale decided he would be the judge of that. He was even friends with the couple who owned it. Shadwell and Tracy, lovely people, even if they do yell too much while in the kitchen. He was even fond of their grandson Newton, 'the lovable klutz' as he referred to him.

As soon as they walked through the doors of the restaurant, an enthusiastic short woman with her blonde hair in a bun greeted them. She pulled the redhead in for a hug.

"Anthony! Good to see you again, love! Been busy with work, I presume."

"You know how it goes."

The woman, who Aziraphale gathered was Tracy, gave him a smile. "And who's your friend?"

"Date, actually." Corrected the taller man before looking back at the blond, whose ears were a bit pink at this point.

He shot out his hand nervously. "Aziraphale. Lovely to meet you."

"Pleasure's mine, dear. Anthony never brings anyone new around here anymore. I take it you're special." She gave him a wink and turned her attention back to the off-duty medic. "Your usual table's clean, you can go sit. Newt'll be overs shortly to get you started."

Crowley lead the blond to a corner booth by the mural of a forest engulfed by a night's sky and lit up by a full moon. While creepy, Aziraphale found the piece beautiful. They settled into their seats and the former professor looked around the establishment. There were more people than he had expected. Then again, it was a Sunday afternoon.

Finally, his eyes settled on Crowley's and he decided to start up a conversation. "How often do you actually come here these days? Tracy looked like she was squeezing you as if she hadn't seen you in ages."

Crowley let out a whistle, not really sure how long it was. "Been a while. Used to come here a lot with Warlock when I just had office hours, not this weekday mess I have now with those plus the E.R. ones."

"Well, she's certainly missed you."

"Yes, she really is like that one aunt we all have that just wants to coddle to no end. She loves making people happy." He said.

Aziraphale noticed an employee walking over. Tall, lanky, dark hair, glasses, balancing a pitcher of water and two glasses on his tray. Yup, that definitely had to be Newton. And it was, because he introduced himself as soon as he got to their table.

The poor waiter barely had a chance to serve them water and hand them their menus before there was a loud crashing and clattering sound from the kitchen and Shadwell started calling for Newton in a very impatient manner. Luckily, it appeared no one was hurt thanks to the incident, since Tracy and Shadwell's bickering could be heard just as normal as many other times.

After a few seconds of silence (well, silence at **their** table anyway), Aziraphale cleared his throat, tried to get over his nervousness to ask the question which had been pestering around in his mind since the call last night.

"So, if I may ask, what is your... preference?" The words left his mouth like a mumble, slightly amplified thanks to the echo from the glass he was going to drink from.

A slight grin appeared on the skinny ginger's lips. "I'll assume you mean sexually, not in relation to alcoholic beverages." Said Crowley while eyeing the drinks section of the menu.

Aziraphale nearly choked on his water. "Yes- quite. Although- if you don't want to answer that, the beverage one will do just fine."

Crowley raised his free hand a bit to get his attention. "Calm down professor, it's a logical question to ask. I was married to a woman and had a son with her, it's obvious you'd be curious as to why I'm taking you, a man, out on a date."

"Even if logical, perhaps it's a bit too early to speak of that. First date and all." Replied the blond.

Crowley raised a brow and put down his menu. "I disagree." He said, relaxing a bit more into his seat.

Aziraphale blinked at him. "Really?"

The doctor nodded. "Mhmm. Better to get the important stuff out the way first, I think. No unpleasant or uncomfortable situations down the road. Or fewer, anyway..."

" 'Down the road'..."

He nodded again. "Assuming this goes well and we see each other again. **Personally** , not through my profession, of course."

"So, you aren't looking for something... casual?" Asked Aziraphale, as if waiting for the blow to land.

"No." He hadn't stopped looking Aziraphale in the eyes, it was his way of letting him know he was safe.

Aziraphale then let out a big sigh of relief, mixed in with a nervous laugh. "Oh, good. I-I was concerned that would be your intention. I don't think I could do that."

Crowley placed his elbow on the table and rested his chin on the palm of his hand, watching him intently. "Did you **really** think that's what I wanted?" His voice wasn't sarcastic or amused, it was careful.

The blond nodded. "Based on my past experiences, that's usually how it goes. We meet, I think we've hit it off, but they just want something physical."

"And you don't like that?" Asked Crowley with a tilt of the head.

"I thought I could. Thought not getting attached would be easy, but I suppose I'm too soft for that sort of thing." He replied a bit sadly.

"There's nothing wrong with being soft..." Crowley said simply, hoping a little smile would be enough to convince him that was the truth. "And to answer your original question: I'm... still not entirely sure what I am. I'm either bi or pansexual, that's as far as I can pinpoint it. Given my love life, you could see how either of those terms applied."

"Huh." Was all that left Aziraphale's mouth as he stared back at the redhead.

Crowley arched a brow. "Surprised?"

"Yes, actually. You just seem like the type of person who knows everything about themselves." He had admired Crowley's confidence from the very moment they had met. Envied it, even.

The doctor gave him a nod. "For many things, that **is** the case. My orientation, however, is not. I tend to say 'bisexual' if pressed, but I'm still unsure. All I **do** know is: when I like someone, I like someone..." He said, shrugging in Aziraphale's direction.

There was a pause and Crowley decided to take a sip from his water, before breaking the silence with the same question. "So, what about you? Which, uh, let's say 'spectrum' are you in?"

Aziraphale made a small hand gesture of some sort, like he was waving it off. "Oh, I'm gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide." He said nonchalantly before taking another sip of his drink.

Crowley let out a bark of a laugh which then lead to an out of breath giggling fit, which the ginger couldn't control.

Aziraphale got worried for a moment, since the laughing just wouldn't stop. Crowley would try taking a deep breath every now and again but would falter and go back into the fit. It got to the point where his failed attempts to stop turned slightly amusing, even contagious. This made Aziraphale, involuntarily, join in. So there they were, in the corner of this little establishment, laughing like a pair of hyenas. People were starting to stare, but they actually didn't care. When Tracy brought over their complimentary appetizer, the addition of someone to their table helped them focus on anything other than the laughter. Eventually, they managed to calm down.

They ate their meal and Aziraphale relented, finally agreeing with Crowley, that it was the best baked potato he'd ever had. Whether they were the best in England he'd still argue, but between that, Tracy's bartending skills and the dessert they had, Aziraphale would definitely be coming back. They had a lovely time, got more comfortable with each other and it was hard to tell who had smiled more throughout the date. They hadn't even noticed how much time had passed until they stepped out of the restaurant and saw it was nighttime.

Aziraphale brought a hand to his mouth after looking at his watch. "Good lord, did I miss the last bus?" He mumbled to himself as he dug out his phone from his back-pocket. No missed calls or text messages, which usually meant Adam was fine. He visibly relaxed at this, before feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright?" He looked back at Crowley. Those beautiful hazel eyes seemed to shine when the moonlight hit them, and Aziraphale had to wonder if that alone had him feeling like he was swooning, or if it had been the martinis.

And there's that infuriating blush again, warming up Aziraphale's face far too much for his liking. "Yes. Perfect. Um, I need to catch the last bus home but I'd love to do this again. That is, if you're amenable."

Crowley smiled at the man. "More than. Also, bus? No. Come on, I'll drop you off. You said you lived in Lower Tadfield, right?"

"Oh, don't be silly dear boy, I wouldn't want to impose-"

The doctor waved him off. "You're not, trust me. Come on, let me be a gentleman, walk you to your door, all that business."

Aziraphale giggled in response. "You won't let this go, will you?"

"Nope." He said smugly before taking his car keys out of his pocket. "Shall we?"

The blond nodded. "Lead the way."

The walk to the parking lot was only a few minutes away from the restaurant. To Aziraphale's surprise, the vehicle Crowley stepped up to and unlocked wasn't any of the modern sports cars which were there, it was the classic, black Bentley instead. And another thing which surprised Aziraphale was when he noticed Crowley had unlocked the passenger's door and was holding it open for them.

Aziraphale placed his hands on his hips, pretending to be shocked. "Did you insist on giving me a ride **just** to do this?"

A mischievous grin took over his face and he shrugged. "Maybe. Is it working? Am I successfully tempting you into the car with my charms?" He asked with a laugh.

The blond made his way over to the vintage vehicle and stepped into it. "Temptation accomplished." He smiled up at him.

Crowley couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Once again, it was hard to say who blushed more, but he decided to ignore all that. He made sure Aziraphale was properly in the car before shutting the door and walking over to his side. As soon as the engine turned over, the radio came on.

_We touch and you're afraid of me_

_And we burn and now I'm at your feet_

_High speed, but you know you're in safe hands_

_Ooh, in the dark we make a brighter light_

_From one spark to the horizon wide_

_We trust, and together we tame the land, yeah_

_Oh you'd be forgiven if you think you're dreaming_

_But we're working night and day to make a dream come true, yeah_

_Everything I do is driven by you_

_Oh, come on babe_

Crowley, who was checking the messages he had been ignoring throughout their date, suddenly realized that the music was louder than normal. He shut it off.

"Sorry, automatically connects to the phone when I get in. We don't have to listen to that if you don't want to." He said while putting his phone down.

"No need to apologize, dear boy. I was actually intrigued by it. Who sings it?" Asked Aziraphale, looking genuinely curious.

"It's Queen. That's mainly what I listen to when I drive."

Aziraphale hummed un response. "Any particular reason?"

"They just put me in a good mood." Said Crowley with a shrug.

The sweetest smile from the blond nearly melted Crowley's heart. "Then let it play. I'd like to hear the rest of it. And see you singing along to it. You seemed to be having fun."

"Oh Hell, I was singing **out loud**?!" Asked the doctor, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Aziraphale chuckled. "I'm afraid so. It was very cute."

Crowley groaned a bit. "What did we establish a few hours ago? I'm dashing, handsome, I'm not cute."

"I beg to differ." He said smugly.

~~~~~

The drive was mostly pleasant, apart from the moments where Crowley would ignore the speed limit. Whatever modifications he had done to an old car like this for it to go **that** fast really had been worth the money. Luckily, Aziraphale didn't notice the speeding too much because they were too busy singing along to The Best Of Queen. Well, Crowley was the one doing the most of the singing, Aziraphale would chime in if he knew the song's chorus. It was quite fun, so much so, that when the Bentley pulled up to his home, Aziraphale felt a bit disappointed. Before he had a chance to do anything himself, Crowley had already made his way around the car and opened the passenger's door.

The blond's jaw nearly dropped. "You truly weren't kidding when you said you'd walk me to my door."

"I was being serious! I'm old-fashioned for **some** stuff." Said Crowley, holding out his hand.

Aziraphale took it and stepped out of the Bentley. "I gathered, what with the car and all."

Crowley chuckled softly as he walked him up the stone steps which lead to the house. Once at the door, Aziraphale's free hand searched for his keys in his pocket because he didn't want to let go of Crowley's. The two men stood there at the door for a moment, and Aziraphale wondered if he should invite him in for a nightcap or not.

While he thought that, he must've made a face, because Crowley squeezed his hand. "Hey."

Aziraphale snapped out of his daze. "Hmm?"

"I doubt you're sleeping on the porch, right? Go on, I'm not leaving until I know you're safely inside your home." He informed him.

Aziraphale blinked at him, with a scoff of a laugh. "Safe? Yes, because Lower Tadfield is **so** dangerous."

"Alright, a bit too much, then. I'll keep that in mind for next time." He said, letting go of his hand.

The blond almost reached back for it but refrained from doing so. Opting instead to fuss with his own hands and the keys. "No, no. I like it! It's sweet..." He said before looking down at their feet.

"Um, quick question, before I head in. You said you're old-fashioned for **some** stuff... Does that include not kissing on the first date? Because I would very much like to kiss you but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable..."

Crowley seemed amused by this, seeing as he let out a breath which sounded like a half-hearted laugh. Then, Aziraphale felt those long fingers slowly lifting his face to meet his gaze. His voice was low, calming, even. "I'm **more** than amenable for that. Did you really not notice how much I stared at your lips tonight?"

Surprisingly, he had not noticed. What he was currently noticing though, was how hot his face felt with Crowley's only inches away. And seeing as he basically got permission, nothing stopped him from surging forward and locking lips with the redhead. The kiss started out as gentle, but once Aziraphale poked his tongue into him, it turned a bit more sloppy. Crowley, who as it turned out, could do really weird things with his tongue, didn't seem to mind at all. What he **did** mind, was a flash that came from the nearby window. Aziraphale dropped his keys when he heard the click of a camera shutter.

The pair broke off and turned toward the direction of the light, only to see the silhouette of a small boy running away from the window.

"Adam!" Growled Aziraphale, scrambling for his keys.

Crowley placed a hand over his mouth and Aziraphale couldn't tell whether it was out of embarrassment or because he was holding back laughter. Thankfully, it was the latter.

Aziraphale's embarrassment wasn't going anywhere though, starting to apologize as he stood. "I am **so** sorry! I didn't know he was home, he was supposed to be sleeping over at a friend's house tonight. I don't know what-"

The hazel eyed man reached over and grabbed his free hand. "Hey." He said softly, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's fine, really." He insisted before pulling his hand to his lips.

Thanks to this, some of Aziraphale's worries melted away, and almost left him as a big blushing fool of a puddle.

"Goodnight." Crowley said with a smile before turning away and sauntering over to his car.

A sense of urgency spiked within the blond. "Do let me know when you get home!" He yelled before Crowley went to duck into the vehicle.

The doctor's smile grew wider before giving him a nod. True to his word, Crowley didn't drive off until Aziraphale was safely inside. With the Bentley now gone, and the front door locked, Aziraphale turned on his heel and trudged up the stairs.

He found Adam in his room, pretending to be asleep. After calling his bluff and a good scolding, he took away his phone as punishment. Of course, he sent himself the photo before permanently deleting it from Adam's phone. Crowley's face was visible but Aziraphale had his back toward the camera. He sent it to Crowley after he had confirmed he was home.

_**[At least he got your good side.]** _

_**[He got yours too ;) ]** _

**_[What happened to you being a gentleman?]_ **

_**[I'm allowed, at least, 1 thirst-comment per conversation XD...]** _

_**[Did you have as much fun as I did?]** _

Aziraphale nodded at his screen, even if Crowley couldn't see it.

_**[I did. More than I've had in a very long time. Thank you for a lovely time Anthony.]** _

_**[So, are you free next Sunday?]** _

**_[I am.]_ **

_**[Ever been to a botanical garden?]** _

**_[I haven't. It's a date.]_ **


End file.
